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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · firm · toast · rash · lean · object · present · kid

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. toast — bread
  5. lean — to bend
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. object — to protest
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. present — there
  12. rash — a series
  13. present — the time now
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. object — an aim
  17. firm — a company
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lean — thin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com